Saturday 13 September 2014

Staying Sane While Breastfeeding

A lot of women have trouble with breastfeeding, even second- or third-time moms because each baby is different. My first daughter would open her mouth wide, had a perfect latch, and would drain the breast completely. No problems. My second is a different story! Here is a list of what has worked for me to get better sleep and make sure she gets the nutrition she needs.



1) Sore nipples? Yah, mine were covered in scabs and there was a time when I literally pulled off a chunk of skin after she was done nursing. When she would latch on, my toes would curl and I would cry. The solution was to talk to my midwife AND public health nurse, both of which showed me better latching techniques and holds that wouldn't leave my back stiff. When you are comfy and have a proper latch, there should be no pain. However, if you still have scabs, it may hurt for a bit until they're better, but you should notice a definite improvement within a couple feedings. Make sure baby has fish-lips!
2) No sleep? Baby was waking every 45 minutes at night. Everyone said to switch to formula, but I knew my milk was not the problem because I was "block-feeding", meaning feeding on the same breast multiple times, so she was guaranteed to get hind-milk. Instead of switching to formula, I switched everything else! I switched diaper brands, sleeping arrangements (husband got to sleep in the basement - sorry, honey!), and warmth levels. What works for us may not work for everybody, but for my baby Pampers, bed-sharing and a warm blanket without swaddling worked like a charm. At only 6 days old, she was having 2-hour stretches and even one 3.5-hour stretch!
3) Overall breast soreness - I have rather large breasts, so I find going bra-less makes them even more sore. This is just something you have to experiment with. But if you find the perfect nursing bra, wear is out! Wear it every day because sore boobies are no fun. They will distract you from everything else you need/want to do. And make sure it's not too tight.
4) Shower with super-hot water to help settle engorgement. It won't last long, I promise! And give them vigorous massages to get rid of any internal milk-lumps. Prevent mastitis - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Hopefully all these tips will help you out. And if you need in-person help, don't hesitate to contact a Lactation Consultant - that's what they're there for!

Monday 7 July 2014

Maternity Romper

I invented a pattern (that's right... run in fear!). It's hot summertime and my last child was a winter-baby so I have only one pair of shorts. That alone necessitated the invention of this pattern. I have a 44" belly right now, and this is not form-fitting, so hopefully it will fit any Medium-sized woman (pre-pregnancy) her entire 9 months. Good thing about it is I can step right into it - no need for a zipper! It was one of my first times sewing with jersey knit, and I must admit, it's rather nice.


Sunday 18 May 2014

Booties or Slippers

I have to give credit where it's due... I have been on the hunt for the PERFECT bootie for a long time. Something quick, minimal sewing, cute, doesn't fall off, and no seams showing. Well, I found it on the <"a href="http://dorothy-comewhatmayandloveit.blogspot.ca/2010/01/bootie-tutorial.html">Dorothy Was Here blog. Her slippers/booties are so amazingly wonderful that there are no words to describe them. I have made several pairs (even some for donation) and upsizing is not hard to eyeball.



Naturally, if you're going to make a bajillion, or if they're not for home use, please head over to her blog and see her rules on that.



Wednesday 23 April 2014

Tapping Maple Trees

I live in a house surrounded by Manitoba Maples (also known as Box Elders). Although these trees don't give the same syrup as trees found in Quebec, the sap can still be made into a tasty syrup. So this spring I finally had the equipment and time to tap them. I had two taps (one of which broke... my own fault). Here is a picture of our pot hanging to catch the drips.

 photo treetap1_zps075267d8.jpg

The drips came at a steady pace. The temperature last night when we tapped was +8 celcius and it got down to -3 celcius at night. Today it looks like it's going to rain and there's a heavy wind, but it's +3 celcius. So I brought it in before the rain. This means we only collected from 6 p.m. to noon and still got a hefty amount:

 photo treetap2_zps7e20de03.jpg

Thus ends our tree-tapping experiment for this year. This was simply to see what it was all about and whether it was possible. I am boiling down the sap as I type and have vowed to try again next year. One thing I will do differently is buy metal spigots instead of cheap plastic. Tap on!

Thursday 2 January 2014

A Happy and Unhappy New Year

Well, 2014 has arrived. The wonderful New Years news is that I am pregnant. The not-so-good news is that my 2-year old daughter suffered a spiral fracture on her left leg. Having a super-active little one stuck in a cast for a month is not fun or easy, however it has helped me think of different activities to do with her. We've explored new crafts and even invited a nurse to our house for a mini-lesson on checkups (she got to use a stethoscope, but she was scared of the blood pressure cuff). I made several lessons that can be adapted for individual kids or small groups, which I will post under the "Homeschool" section sometime this week.